Conner Pulling

Hello! My name is Conner Pulling and I am a RISS’21 alumni and an incoming MSR graduate student at Carnegie Mellon University. I am interested in researching and developing robotic capabilities for autonomy, reasoning, and perception in unstructured environments such as in space or underground. This summer, I am excited to work with the AirLab under the mentorship of Dr. Sebastian Scherer and Dr. Yaoyu Hu. My research with RISS will build on previous work and focus on developing novel learning-based omnidirectional depth estimation methods using multiple fisheye camera images. The goal is to run a deep learning model in real-time on an edge device to get a full 360° depth map around an agent, which could be used for 3D reconstruction, collision avoidance, and much more. I look forward to continuing my robotics research with world-renown experts while having the chance to explore Pittsburgh, CMU, and RI in-person. I believe my time with the AirLab and RISS will give me the chance to be both a mentor and a student, helping begin my graduate journey with CMU on a positive note. I want to thank my mentors, Rachel Burcin, John M. Dolan, the RISS sponsors, and the AirLab for the opportunity to learn and grow this summer!